Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
Lee Hee-ho calls some “DJ” men turncoats
By Jun Ji-hye
Lee Hee-ho Former first lady
By Jun Ji-hye
Lee Hee-ho, the widow of late President Kim Dae-jung, expressed her disappointment at some of Kim’s former aides for openly supporting the ruling Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye, describing them as “turncoats.”
Park Jie-won, floor leader of the Democratic United Party (DUP), quoted Lee on Friday as saying, “How could people like them who experienced the Yushin regime decide to support Park? Such turncoats always emerge when elections are looming.”
Her remarks refer to some former “DJ” men, including Han Kwang-ok, Kim Kyung-jae and Han Hwa-gap, who recently announced their support for the daughter of late President Park Chung-hee who was the political nemesis of late liberal President Kim during the authoritarian 1970s.
Appearing at CBS radio, floor leader Park, who served as chief of staff to the late Kim, said that Lee asked him to do his best to help Moon Jae-in, the DUP’s candidate.
The DUP floor leader quoted Lee as saying, “As long as God exists, Park who was behind the Yushin administration shouldn’t be elected.”
He said Lee wanted all followers of DJ to unite forces to support Moon in his bid to effect change, through the establishment of a democratic government, and better inter-Korean relations.
Regarding a claim by former DJ men that their endorsement of the ruling party candidate was in line with the will of late Kim who emphasized national integration, the floor leader said the late Kim never endorsed the ruling party candidate when he was alive.
“In 2004, when Park, then leader of the Grand National Party, came to see the late Kim and apologized for her father’s misdeeds, Kim said, ‘Condemn the offense and not its perpetrator,’ and stressed forgiveness and reconciliation,” he said. “The late Kim told her that to become a good leader, she should pursue national unity. But I have never heard him say that Park should become president.”
Han Hwa-gap, former leader of the now-defunct Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), the predecessor of the Democratic United Party (DUP), who earned the nickname “Little DJ,” endorsed Park.
And Han Kwang-ok, who served as chief of staff to the late liberal Kim, is currently serving as chief vice chairman of the National Integration Committee of the ruling Party after declaring his support for Park in October.
Both of them cited argued that their joining the Park camp will help ease regionalism, one of the deep-seated problems in Korean politics.
But Kwon Roh-gap and Kim Ok-doo and other confidants to the late liberal president, also revealed their frustration regarding their moves.